Generally, an electrical connector includes a dielectric housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals. The housing may be molded of plastic material or the like, and the terminals may be formed of conductive metal material. The connector is adapted for mechanical connection to a complementary connecting device, such as a second mating connector, for electrically interconnecting the terminals of the two connectors.
In some instances, it is desirable to provide a system wherein a plurality of modular connectors of the character described above are mounted in a singular structure, such as an outer shroud, for conjointly mating the plurality of modular connectors with a plurality of complementary connectors of a mating assembly.
Typically, some form of latch means is provided to securely hold the modular connectors within the outer shroud. In addition, it is desirable to provide some form of polarizing means to ensure that the modular connectors are inserted into the shroud in a particular orientation. These various means, along with other latches and mechanisms on the connector, often cause the assemblies to become rather complex and expensive. The various extraneous means on an otherwise simple and inexpensive connector structure also increase the size envelope of the connector module in an industry where miniaturization and high density has become very demanding.
In addition it is desirable to allow the use of a variety of modular connectors at a variety of locations in the shroud after manufacture of the modular connectors and shrouds. The versatility of mixing modular connectors and their locations could result in lower manufacturing costs due to fewer parts being needed. Also a single modular connector was desired which could be easily removed in the field for replacement, repair, or modification while the remaining modular connectors could be reused.
The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a unique system where singular components perform dual functions of both latching and polarizing to, thereby, reduce the overall complexity and size envelope of the connector assembly.